Romance Books Reviews & Treats

22y.o personal assistant nervously switches IDs with her famous celebrity heiress employer and friend on the flight to Italy.

She wants to help her boss-friend with her love life. And everything is going well so far with their scheme until her boss-friend's new family chauffeur, 34y.o Hero, abducts her by car through parts unknown in Italy. He meets her resistances with his cold demands. Yet she's still drawn to him. Finding out who he is changes things for her but it doesn't change her inability to tell him her true identity. How does he react when he finally finds out?

This Marton book read more like a romantic suspense book with an '80s HP-type Hero. He was quite rough and aggressive with heroine from the very start. He did show occasional glimpses of his softer side, especially after his real identity was revealed to heroine later. Heroine had her likable qualities as well but her passivity got to me. Her reasons for keeping the truth from him were not good enough to continue deceiving him.** There were some interesting twists in the book and the romance was fine. But the so-so characterization, average sexual chemistry & sex scenes, and the weak deception plot device left things to be desired.

Somewhat recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog: http://movesme.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-flood-of-sweet-fire-sandra-marton.html

24y.o heroine accepts 37y.o former photographer Hero's offer to be his housekeeper, after she decided to abandon all her links to her past.

He's been socially isolated and disinterested since his car accident 2 years ago but there's something about heroine that's drawing him out. She seems to understand his need for privacy yet tries to coax him out of his dark shell, not easily deterred by his sometimes caustic nature. An affair ensues but Hero is still withholding his darkest secrets from her and she doesn't know where she stands. Will she push him for more?

My 1st Cox book and it was ok. What made it different from other Hps(Harlequin Presents) I've read was how heavy the angst was in the beginning of the book. It pervaded the beginning and was a bit hard to take. The angst did abate as the book progressed. Unfortunately, it abated to the point that the story became mundane, predictable, and lacked excitement. The writing tended to be formal and didn't really grab my emotions overall. The characters were not the easiest to connect with either. I felt like I only knew the present part of them and there were holes about their past, especially heroine's.** Overall, the book was an interesting read but needed to keep a bit more drama to keep my interest to the end.

Modestly recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click http://movesme.blogspot.com/2014/04/brazilian-boss-virgin-housekeeper-maggie-cox.html

20y.o community-college student is desperate to rid herself of her virginity. She meets 25y.o dance-club bouncer Hero that night

and their mutual attraction means she'll finally achieve her goal. However, finding out she's a virgin made him decide that they needed 3 weeks of spending time together before they do the deed. This way she can still back out if she changed her mind about him. Their 3 weeks was more enjoyable than she expected, except for her not telling him that her bucket list that they've been following wasn't hers to begin with. How does he respond when he finds out about her deception? What future do they have together after their 3 weeks is up?

I didn't like this book. The characterization was inconsistent. It was emotionally bland. The ending was unbelievable and trite. I don't see a HEA(happy ever after) for Hero and heroine. I didn't even think the book was romantic. Hero was a likeable guy. Sweet, responsible, thoughtful, and loving. But he didn't match well with immature, aimless, self-centered, and spoiled heroine. He wanted romance and she just wanted to finally have sex. But sometimes she seemed to want more but she'd changed her mind on it. Sexual chemistry was average and the sex scenes were part laughable and part hot.** There were times when I laughed and I don't think it was meant to be funny. This book was a mishmash of some good and some bad and some very bad.

Minimally recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.
*A copy was provided by the published in exchange for an honest review.

25y.o heroine becomes the new housekeeper of the house of 35y.o master statesman Hero.

Hero hasn't left his bedroom since after his wife died about 10 months ago. The rest of the household staff are astonished at heroine's boldness in challenging him to step out of his room. She is secretly motivated to do so due to her desire to search for papers in his possession that would give her the freedom she's been seeking for the past 8 years. Their consequent affair ends as soon as he discovers her deceit. How does he learn to trust her again? What can their romance mean to his future political career?

I don't give many 5-star ratings and I haven't liked all of Duran's books. But this book deserves a 5-star. The writing is smooth and crisp, making tangible what's being described. It's emotionally engaging, bringing humor, angst, sadness, suspense, and hope. Sexual chemistry developed more as the story unfolded. The romance unfolded gradually and greatly intensified from 50% of the book.** The greatest strength of the book, though, is Hero and heroine's characterization. We experienced their character growth throughout their secret romance. They (especially Hero) became stronger and more mature people at the end, guaranteeing an HEA(happy ever after) future for these 2.

Highly recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Art-history college senior sets ground rules with her cruise-ship roommate & ex-boyfriend's frat brother, Hero.

She doesn't want to be a notch in his man-ho belt and she's too worried about being blackmailed to deal with his advances. No matter his attractiveness. Pre-med college senior Hero may think she's stuck-up but is likewise attracted to her. Spending time together allows them to see who the other really is, pushing them towards further intimacy. When Hero learns that heroine hasn't been as honest with him as he'd been with her, he shuts down. What can she do to earn his trust again?

A college romance with realistic characters. Hero and heroine began with their social pretenses but ended up doing a bit of growing up. Both of them shared family secrets that could get them rejected by their sorority and fraternity groups. Heroine had a bigger stake.** But both struggled alone with their secrets and was what initially drew them together romantically. It made their sexual chemistry stronger and made their sex scenes meaningful. The ending was a happy one but didn't give me a clear guarantee of their HEA(happy ever after).

Moderately recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.

*A copy was given by the author in exchange for an honest review.

25y.o. film-director secretary feels very uncomfortable working with new novelist Hero, who was her deceased boyfriend's best friend.

His novel is loosely based on their previous love triangle and paints her in a very bad light. He's out for revenge and she understands his bitterness and tries to keep things professional only between them. But his goading and her still-strong feelings for him make it impossible. How can they reconcile their embroiled past to have another chance at love?

I don't like love triangles but I do like Lamb's writing. So I stuck with it knowing that there'll be some surprises and a HEA(happy ever after) ending. There's a secret affair heaped on a secret affair. A romance over another romance. There's cheating and some other surprises.** It may sound complicated but Lamb told it in a way that flowed and made sense. The question of “what happens next?” kept me on my toes. And the intense emotions between Hero and heroine kept my interest. I like heroine's character growth the most and the lack of satisfying closure for all their years of bitterness/resentment/guilt/blame/revenge, the least. Sexual chemistry was dynamic. Sex scenes were mostly generalized.

Moderately recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.

I like to do things myself. So my prescription for this lovely rainy weather we're having in Texas today and last night's eye-opener re: Goodreads & Amazon & crazy authors is baking gooey chocolate chip cookies. Gluten-free, Fructose-free. Buttery & chocolatey goodness. I will indulge.

As of yesterday, I had no clue Booklikes even existed. But for the drama, where I learned about Goodreads unofficial policy change sometime late last year, bullying commenters of low-raters on Amazon, and the petition signed by some authors to enforce the real identities of book reviewers on Amazon.

Gah! Too much. My eyes were wide open in shock at how craaazy all this is!  I've been living in my romance-reading & reviewing bubble and had no idea how rabid these authors are in blocking readers from giving their books low ratings (even 3-stars!). The ego of these people! And the hypocrisy. They can write under multiple pseudonyms but demand their readers show them their real identities.

These writers need to get a life! They need to get out of their heads & stop pretending they're dictators of Fictionland. These readers need to get a different life & stop worshipping at the altars of their fave authors just because they like their books. They're only writers, people! Not deities. Stop getting caught up in the fiction they're creating outside their books.

Art-gallery associate feels her fiance, artist Hero, holding back since they got to Paris.

He's reluctant to tell her what's left of his past for fear that she won't understand and may leave him as a result. The call regarding his former lover forces him to reveal his past to her now. How shocking is it for her? Will it drive her away from him?

I had no clue this novella was the umpteenth book in Jones' Inside Out series. But I read it anyway. The summation of Hero and heroine's past history and the basic factors contributing to their current romance challenge were good enough to make me not feel lost. The best parts of the book were the sexy but loving sex scenes and the angst Hero felt before his secrets were revealed. However, when his secrets were finally revealed to heroine, it was anti-climatic. They mentioned already dealing with a similar secret of Hero's in a previous book that sounded much worse than the secrets revealed in this book.**

Moderately recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my other blog: http://movesme.blogspot.com/2014/02/his-secrets-lisa-renee-jones.html

25y.o. veterinary student makes 32y.o.ex-polo player Hero sign a contract about him loaning her $10 million in exchange for 1 night of sex so he can't renege on it.

Desperation made her approach him for a loan since she only had 5 more days to buy the horse farm her deceased mother grew up in. As distasteful sex is for her, heroine agrees to ruthless businessman Hero's sex proposal. He wants vengeance for her seductive deception, which caused him to get booted out of the farm and end his flourishing polo career 8 years ago. But spending time together now changes both their previous views of each other. And confirming that their strong attraction in the past is still very much alive now. When heroine finds out about Hero's plan to buy out the farm from under her, her feelings for him is undermined. How can he win her trust back?

I enjoyed this Conder book. Strong characterization, great sexual tension, tender but hot sex scenes, and emotionally engaging. Hero and heroine start out with negative views about each other, based on their past history 8 years ago. The distant trajectory of where their views and feelings for each other were steadily closed as  the book unfolded. We saw them change as they realized certain things about themselves and each other. They grew closer as they shared their fears and motives and understood each other more. It was interesting to see Hero soften up to heroine as he found out the truth about really happened in the past.** His sensitivity to her sexual problems endeared him to me even more. I loved how he got her and did his best to make her feel loved and supported. It was a good character & romance journey.

Highly recommended.

**SPOILERS regarding the truth about their past are on my other blog ... http://movesme.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-most-expensive-lie-of-all-michelle-conder.html

22y.o. paralegal gets another unexpected kiss from 26y.o. firefighter Hero 4 years later.

She's working to do an inventory at his family orchard but he's tempting her to break through her set life with him. But he makes it clear that anything between them is only temporary. Their affair though produces more than just fun and pleasure. The both sense it but Hero still won't let her in. What will it take to do so? And is it enough to make him make a commitment to her?

My 1st Leighton book and I liked it. It was emotionally evoking and had good characterization. It had its funny, sexy, and poignant moments. I felt like I got to know Hero and heroine pretty well from their alternating POV(point of view). They're both strong and caring people who were fine with who they were yet were realizing that some things were missing in their life. Especially when their affair ended. Hero was good at hiding his brokenness but it became clear that knowing about his past wasn't enough.** They both had to take risks to go after what they wanted from each other. And they were rewarded for them. I liked that it took some time for them to assess things, making their decisions seem more sound. I have a good feeling about their HEA(happy ever after).

Recommended.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my other blog ... http://movesme.blogspot.com/2014/03/some-like-it-wild-m-leighton.html

Late 20s heroine doesn’t understand why 29yo Olympic alpine skier Hero will only limit themselves to a 1-night stand when she can sense that he wants more with her.

Seeing him again in the Vermont small town she lives in confirms how he feels for her. But he pushes her away again. He does so more forcefully this time when she confesses something personal. And breaks her heart in the process. What chance does he have of her trusting him again?

I liked this book. It had steam, angst, grovel, and a good resolution. We have 2 imperfect people who want to be together but have barriers that prevent them from doing so. What made it angsty was the barriers were mostly internal with Hero. He didn’t do relationships, including close friendships, because of his fatalistic view of his life.** He was used to it until heroine made him wish for things he couldn’t have. The push and pull between their desires and fears made this an emotionally engaging read. How he deliberately hurt heroine pushed the angst. And his shock at later finding out that life was not what he expected it to be pushed it even more. His grovel wasn’t dramatic but it was genuine and meaningful to heroine. He showed that he was sorry and I think made up for the wrongs he did to her.** Heroine was a hopeful person but sometimes a pushover. I did like how she didn’t quickly let him back in her life and took some time to really think things through.

Recommended.

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.

Book 1: ...Late 20s temp bartender heroine and 29yo Olympic alpine skier have a 1 night stand during a snowstorm, which both want to continue. But Hero can’t allow it because of how he thinks his life will end up.

Book 2: ...33yo businesswoman has a busy life but doesn’t like feeling dependent on mid-20s ex-military Hero who she employed to tend her house and her 15yo daughter. How long will she hold off on their strong mutual attraction?
Book 3: ...28y.o. vet keeps surprising her childhood crush early-30s Hollywood photographer Hero since they saw each other again. He’s starting to see that the quiet & bookish little sister of his best friend is all grown up.
Book 4: ...34yo cupcake bakery owner reciprocates the interest of their town’s new sheriff 36y.o. Hero. However, she has a hard time trusting him when he suspects a 17y.o. boy who happens to be her new unofficial charge & employee of the recent store burglaries.

I only planned on sampling the 1st book (Bowen’s) because plain Harlequin books usually bore me so I haven’t read 1 in years. But Bowen’s book captivated me and surprised me with its drama and the kind of steamy sex scenes I’ve never read before in a plain Harlequin book. I read it all & I really liked it: the sex, angst, and sweet love between the Hero and heroine in the book. Hero’s terrible betrayal of heroine and his subsequent grovel later made me write an extensive review of this particular book.*** It also sparked my interest to read the other 3 books in this set. The second story by Avery had a slow start but it warmed up later with the sexy sexual chemistry between older heroine and bit younger Hero. Cousin’s story (3rd book) had some humor and adventure via Vegas high-stakes gambling, a lost cat, & Hero’s interfering actress ex-wife. It centered on heroine’s unrequited love for Hero who now sees her as a woman. It, however, was bogged down by multiple plotlines & characters & overall sense that heroine loved Hero more. McDonald’s story (last book) tackled some serious issues (i.e., homelessness, crime) in midst of a sexy and sweet love between Hero and heroine. It had depth and a solid romance.**

Recommended.

***A more detailed review with SPOILERS of the 1st book is on my blog. Click here.
**A more detailed review of this box set is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
 
 

Suicide-hotline worker feels a kinship with fellow college-student Hero who called the hotline anonymously due to having suicidal thoughts.

They unknowingly have the same circle of friends since Hero is her boyfriend’s frat brother. Hero and heroine personally connect one night and their relationship progresses quickly. But heroine still has a boyfriend and Hero secrets that prevent him from being in a committed relationship. How do they maneuver past their romance barriers? How do they react when they find out that Hero is the suicide caller & heroine the hotline help?

A good read. The suicide theme didn’t detract from the main romance. It was a point of similarity between Hero and heroine but it wasn’t the center of their romance. Hero and heroine had a strong mutual physical attraction. But it was their unexplainable connection that quickly drew them together. It shook them out of their current state of living: Hero with his self-blame & guilt and heroine with her dissatisfying relationship with her neglectful boyfriend. It made them consider taking risks while finding safety with each other. Their romance grew & the question of infidelity came up.** There are steamy scenes but, with Hero limiting their intimacy, their emotional connection was allowed to more fully develop. It went hand in hand with their character growth. Hero and heroine end up being better people at the end of the book.

Recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

26y.o. preschool teacher is hesitant about letting her ex-boyfriend Navy SEALs Hero get to know their 5y.o. daughter now.

He publicly abandoned her 5 ½ years ago when she told him she was pregnant and she hadn’t heard from him until now. He’s apologetic for what he did to her and wants to atone for his abandonment of her and their daughter. Her resistance crumbles away when faced with their strong mutual attraction to each other. But her mistrust that he may leave them again and his war trauma may prevent him from having a life with heroine and their daughter.

It looked like Hero groveled but it wasn’t sufficient nor was it due to his love for heroine. His groveling was out of convenience, his need for companionship now that he’s disabled and no longer part of his SEALS team, and his desire to have a relationship with their daughter. I didn’t at all see any of his groveling as having any roots in his love for her. She was the mother of his child and she was available and willing. She was a bonus with his daughter. She was a doormat for giving in to him so easily. And he was a selfish and passive man, who knew he did wrong but pushed it aside to seek his own pleasures at his convenience. Not my kind of Hero. This book was emotionally pulling and the writing was good. Too bad I didn’t like the romance, which still has a likelihood of an HEA(happy ever after). But not a healthy one if they don’t change for the better.

Limitedly recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.

28y.o. fashion designer wants to resist her one-time lover and brother’s college best friend from 10 years ago so she can fully focus on her new fashion line.

But she’s still very attracted to 30y.o. hockey player Hero who agreed to be 1 of her male models. And he’s decided to pursue a 2nd chance with her. Their affair fulfills their passion for each other and heroine doesn’t expect anything long term from it, knowing his dating history. However, Hero hints at more. Yet, when she really needs him to be there for her, he shuns her. What caused Hero’s change of heart?

I love second-chance romances and this one was fair. I liked that Hero apologized for his mistreatment of heroine 10 years ago & tried to be a better person with her now. But I didn’t like the emotional imbalance between them. Heroine was always the one who cared more. And Hero knew it and was cocky about how she wanted him, especially when she tried to fight it. His decision to pursue her now was more out of convenience than it was because he loved her. Heroine had her good and bad moments too. I liked her independence and focus. But I did not like her fickleness and playing coy with Hero. It made her seem weak. The steam factor was hot and sex scenes were explicit and plentiful. Emotional tone was middling overall but it did get a bit angsty when Hero had a change of heart.**

Moderately recommended.

**A more detailed review with SPOILERS is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.